Never Leave Me
by Addy Robin
Summary: Sometimes, all we can ask of our loved ones in our most difficult times is that they not leave us. But how difficult is too difficult? And can Antonio and Lovino's love survive the trials they will face? Rated M for later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

Never Leave Me - Chapter 1

Sometimes, all we can ask of our loved ones in our most difficult times is that they not leave us. But how difficult is too difficult? And can Antonio and Lovino's love survive the trials they will face? Rated M for later chapters.

* * *

><p>The bar was mostly empty, save for the few final denizens who, despite being told off, refused to leave. The barkeeper, of course, could do nothing about it...especially not about the one drunkard who was sitting directly at the barstool, drinking beer after beer and becoming hopelessly drunk. "That bastard," Romano spat, his words slurring as he glared at the counter. "He said I could come over to his house, and when I get there he has that...that...that jerk/ over!" Lovino slammed his fist into the counter and glared at the barkeeper. "Another beer. Please."

That was when he heard the door slam open. He refused to look in his direction, refused to let him sweet-talk him, refused to even give him the time of day! He didn't deserve it, that bastard.

"Lovi!"

_Just let him go away_, Lovino prayed silently, anger still festering in his brain from before. Still, his prayers weren't answered, and Antonio came running to his side as he always did. "Lovi, I've been looking all over for you! Dios, don't run away like that, you know how much that-" His lover paused, and Lovino knew he was noticing something else – his drunkenness. Anger continued to build inside him, but why should he let Antonio know? That would only encourage him to keep trying, the bastard… "Are…are you drunk?"

And that was the last straw.

"You ba…you bastard!" Lovino managed, barely able to keep his head up. He was dizzy, and it was getting harder to remember what had made him so angry as he took another swig of beer. Maybe if he drank enough, he wouldn't have to feel anything, and he could just…just curl into his lover's arms at the end of the day…what was he saying? That bastard didn't deserve his embrace!" What are you…what are you doing here?" he slurred with substantially less anger in his voice.

"I'm looking for you, of course!" Antonio grabbed the bottle out of Lovino's hands, and set it forcefully onto the bar as his other hand reached for Lovino's. "Come on, we have to get you home before you do something reckless again…" He pulled on Lovino's hand gently, urging him to stand up, but Lovino stayed put. Why should he go?

"No!" he spat suddenly, sudden clarity appearing in his voice as he tried to pull his hand back. "You had that asshole over at your house when you called me over! I'm not going anywhere with you!" Regardless of what he had said however, Lovino stood slowly, steadying himself against the bar when he began to tilt. "I'm leaving. But I'm only leaving because I don't want to wake up on the floor tomorrow," he grumbled unintelligibly, before tilting against as he tried to walk. This landed him on a table, and he looked over at Antonio like a helpless puppy. "Help?" he said, hiccuping softly as he said it.

He couldn't help but blush as Antonio laughed, scooping him up bridal style and beginning to carry him through the maze of tables. "Oh, my little Lovino, you never change!" He exclaimed as he carried his lover to the door. "I don't care how much you protest, you're staying at my house tonight. You're definitely way too drunk to go home, and you know you'll upset Feliciano if he sees you like this. We can discuss your hatred for Francis in the morning."

* * *

><p>Lovino lay sprawled out on the couch, waiting for Antonio to come back into the room with his water. He still felt lightheaded and drunken, but he was sure that in the morning it would turn into a hangover. Still, his mind was racing. Antonio was always so kind to him, even when he got drunk and had his fits and such…it wasn't fair. He wanted to be good to his lover in return, but he always did things like this. He was sure that, in the morning, he'd feel terrible about what he'd done and get grumpy and angry and such…but right now, he simply felt lightheaded. Giddy, even. Maybe because he was at Antonio's house? Cautiously, he rolled over onto the couch and…began to sniff one of the pillows – it smelled just like his lover's hair. He continued to smell it, getting even drunker off of his lover's scent. "Mm…Antonio…" he mumbled softly, his common sense quickly leaving him now that he was in a safer place than the bar.<p>

"What is it, mi amor?"

Lovino flushed, leaping up and scrambling to the other side of the couch, clearly in a panic as a blush spread over his cheeks. Antonio smiled slightly. "I, um…brought you your water."

"Augh!" Lovino cried, grabbing a pillow at random and throwing it in the general direction of Antonio. Being drunk, of course, he missed horribly, but the intent was clear. "Don't scare me like that, you bastard! It's not like I was smelling your pillow because I like the way you smell or anything! I…" Realizing what he'd said, Lovino bowed his head, incredibly embarrassed. "…that water would be nice," he finally managed after a moment of silence. He stood slowly, attempting to shuffle towards Antonio…

"Lovi, don't–" his lover began, but it was too late – Lovino stumbled over the rug and fell straight at Antonio. The other man dropped the glass he was holding and extended his arms to aid the falling Italian, pulling him into an embrace as he caught him.

Guilt swept over Lovino as he tried and failed to steady himself in the other man's arms. "Antonio," he murmured into his lover's shirt. "Oh, Antonio…" He tilted his head up slightly, knowing in some small, insignificant corner of his mind that he was drunk, that his reasoning was all but gone…he gently kissed Antonio's lips. "I love you," he whispered to him. "I'm just…I'm just jealous 'cause you had Francis over…" Tears sprouted in his eyes as he tried, and failed, to explain himself. "I just…I just love you so much, and I hate it when you…when you see other people like that because…because I know you and he…"

Antonio wrapped his arms gently around Lovino's waist suddenly, suddenly leaning in and touching his forehead to the other man's. He was probably surprised about Lovino being so honest; he was so rarely open about his feelings…it might have been the alcohol though. "Listen to me, Lovino," he began, making eye contact with the Italian. "Francis and I have known each other for a very long time. We've been neighbors our whole lives, and he is one of my closest friends." He paused for a moment, and Lovino raised one eyebrow as if to say 'and your point is'? "However," he continued suddenly, his face becoming more serious. "You are the _only_ person I will ever love. I even fought _France_ for you when you were a child – remember? You have a special place in my heart that _nobody_ will ever replace, be it your brother or Francis or Gilbert, no matter how hard they try…you'll always be the person in the world I love the most, and don't you ever forget that." He carefully wiped the tears from Lovino's eyes before pulling him into a tight embrace, tangling his fingers in his hair. "Don't cry, mi amor. I love you."

Lovino smiled, leaning in to kiss Antonio again…

Without warning, the door burst open, and a man stepped inside. He wore a finely tailored suit and polished shoes, his jaw square and firm and his eyes somewhat squinted, as though analyzing his surroundings. A cold smirk spread across his face as he saw Lovino standing there with Antonio. He let out a cruel chuckle and arched an eyebrow.

"Lovino," the man said coolly, not even giving a glance to Antonio. "I see you have company. I'm sorry if now is a bad time…but I'm afraid it's time to repay your debt." Suddenly, the man pulled out a gun and smirked. "Come along. We haven't got time to wait."

Lovino stared in horror at the man, glancing back and forth from him to Antonio. "A-Antonio…" he whispered, all traces of drunkenness vanishing from his face as he became a mask of horror. "I…I didn't realize today would…I…oh, God…Antonio, I–"

"What?" The man laughed again, beckoning Lovino with his gun. "The Mafia waits for no one, Lovino. Not even your precious lover."

* * *

><p>(AN: Hi everyone! This is going to be my first multi-chapter fic for this fandom, so I really hope not to disappoint! And many thanks to my best friend, who essentially wrote half of this story xD Alright, that's all. Oh! Before I go - I just learned how to make horizontal lines! I'm so excited! Okay, bye!<p>

-BNG)


	2. Chapter 2

Never Leave Me

(AN: Hello. I had some formatting errors during this chapter, so if something seems massively screwed up, please tell me and I'll fix it as fast as I can. Thank you.)

* * *

><p>The man with the square jaw grinned cruelly at the pair, watching their expressions as they calculated the situation. Antonio had pulled away from Lovino cautiously, now only holding onto his hand as he whispered quickly to the other man in an attempt to comfort him. "Shh, Lovi…don't worry, I understand…" he said quietly. How could he have forgotten South Italy's problems with the mafia? They had been plaguing him for decades, since the modern gang came to be. Lovino had confided in him all the problems he had gotten into, all to protect his identity as a country. Antonio shuddered at the thought of having the mafia find out who he really was; if he was killed, what would become of him? Would he disappear like Holy Rome, or would he just die like a human? Antonio didn't want to find out…he'd vowed to protect Italy centuries ago, and even though he was no longer a territory, Antonio refused to break that promise.<p>

The man stepped defensively in front of Lovino, ready to face the armed man. He was prepared for anything—he was a former pirate, after all. "Tell me what you need from Lovino," he said, attempting to remain calm while still being stern, unyielding in his attempts to protect his lover, who was shaking: whether it was out of anger or fear though, he wasn't sure.

"Isn't it obvious?" The man laughed, shaking his head as though the situation were funny…but the gun in his hand showed that this was clearly no laughing matter. "I'm here for the money he owes to the mafia…of course, if he won't be paying up at this very moment…" With his free hand the man snapped his fingers casually, and suddenly three more men appeared, blocking the doorway and looking smug and self-assured. "Well then, neither of you will be leaving. And I wouldn't recommend doing anything rash if I were you…" The man smiled, raising one eyebrow as he re-aimed the gun at Lovino. "Or else things could get a bit messy. And we wouldn't want that, now would we boys?"

Without warning, Lovino stepped forward, standing next to Antonio and putting one arm out as though to block him. "You…you won't have to hurt anyone," he said bitterly, moving forward slowly. "Antonio…" he turned his head slightly, a tiny smile crossing his face briefly. "I love you." With that, he turned his head back to the man and nodded. "I'll go quietly, just don't do anything to him. You understand? …Antonio, promise me you won't tell Feliciano."

Antonio's mind went blank as he processed Lovino's words. There was no way he would let him go without trying to protect him. He could pay Lovino's debts—his boss would be furious, but he didn't care. _He_ was the one in charge; _He_ was Spain, and he would do anything to shelter his former territory, his best friend, his lover. Debt was a small price to pay in exchange for Lovino's safety. Antonio looked up to make eye contact with the man, now wary of his…assistants.

"Lovino won't be leaving with you. I can pay back his debts...Just let him go."

Lovino whipped around suddenly, eyes wide with shock and horror. "Antonio, no!"

"Oh?" The man's lip quivered, as though he were about to smile. "Are you quite certain? Your little friend here owes us quite a lot of money…are you sure you can take that sort of debt onto your shoulders?"

"Antonio!" Lovino yelled again, cutting the other man off and possibly causing him more anger. "I'm not worth that! Don't you dare do it, you bastard!" There were tears in his eyes, but if Lovino noticed, he made no effort to wipe them away. Smiling faintly, Antonio embraced his lover's cheek in an attempt to stop the tears.

"Lovi, mi vida…you are worth _everything_." He thought back briefly to when Lovino was still a child- how much money he and his bosses had poured into wars with France and Turkey in order to keep him, how happy he was when his former partner had given Lovino to him…yes, he was worth it. For the past five hundred years, the other man had become his life, his reason to live. Even after being defeated by Kirkland, after losing all the power and prosperity he had gained, he always continued to fight because of Lovino. He turned around to address the stranger.

"Tell me how much he owes you, I'll pay as much as I can right here, right now." He tried not to let the worry show on his face as he realized how much money he had located in his house. The safe he kept only contained so much, and these men wanted the debt paid back immediately.

"Oh, only about fifteen million."

Lovino blanched.

* * *

><p>Francis and Matthew traipsed through the foreign streets, exhausted from a long night of wandering the city in search of their friends. Francis hadn't meant to scare Lovino off— actually, he had expected him to run away from Antonio's house the moment he noticed France. He had just hoped that the sight of Canada, one of Lovino's closest friends, would keep him from leaving in a fit of rage. Unfortunately, Matthew's modest demeanor caused the Italian to fail to notice his presence.<p>

After Spain had run off after Romano, Francis and Matthew had both agreed to go looking for them; the last thing they needed were _two_ oblivious idiots running about freely.

It was only after two long hours of wandering the streets of Madrid that the two blondes decided to head back two Spain's house. Estimating that the quarreling lovers had returned home by now, Francis had let himself in, familiar with the estate as if it was his own. He walked through the large house with Matthew following closely behind him, searching for Antonio and Lovino. He paused suddenly as he heard an unfamiliar, threatening voice coming from the living room. Matthew's eyes widened in fear as he recognized the man's accent. His thoughts raced back to the last time he had seen Lovino—about two weeks ago—when the other man had confided in him the debt he owed to the mafia. Matthew had tried to help his friend, but Lovino had insisted that he had the situation under control. Lovino had only asked that Matthew kept it a secret until he had sorted everything out.

Matthew grabbed Francis by the shoulder and urged him upstairs while signaling for him to be silent. Francis, understanding the situation, followed his lover cautiously, making as little noise as possible. Locking themselves in Antonio's office, which was conveniently the room farthest away from the living room, Matthew whispered Lovino's peculiar situation to Francis, hoping the older man would be able to come up with a plan to help Antonio and Lovino escape. After a few minutes of debating with himself, Francis turned to Antonio's desk and pulled out a small handgun that his friend had kept there for protection. He then proceeded to open a large, wood cabinet, and after sorting through boxes for a few short moments, retrieved identification, and put it into the briefcase, along with some money that he had pulled out of his coat pocket.

The Canadian had been watching him intently through all of his packing, not saying a word. He was somewhat relieved when his lover finally turned to him and said, "Cher, I have may have a plan, but first you must tell me everything you know about this man and his associates."

* * *

><p>Lovino stared in horror at the men – he could tell that they were nearing the end of their rope waiting for Antonio to get the money, which he hadn't yet, and he could do absolutely nothing about it: he didn't have the money right here, and he was sure Antonio didn't either. There was no getting out of this situation without—<p>

"Antonio! Tenemos el dinero, abre la puerta!"

Lovino jumped when he heard this. Who the hell could…it was the accent that gave it away. _Francis_. "A-ah! That's my...that's my...a-associate! He has the money for us!" Lovino attempted to step forward to open the door, but within moments the leader of the band had the smaller boy in a headlock with his gun against his head. "So you snitched about it then?" he said, a sneer in his voice. "I should have known. Doriano, get the door!"

"Right Boss." The one called Doriano moved to the door as Lovino fell completely still, his face blanching once more as he registered just how much danger he was in. He barely managed to turn his face a degree towards Antonio to mouth the words 'I love you' to him before the man had forced him to look forward, the gun pressed hard against his temple.

"Eyes on the door, Lovino," the leader spat through clenched teeth, watching with caution as Doriano opened the door...

Lovino watched in complete shock as Francis grabbed Doriano by the shoulder, pulling him in close and punching him hard in the face. Dropping his unconscious body to the floor, he strode into the house confidently, swiping up the gun from the stranger and smirking. "You should learn to be more careful with who you let into your house, Antonio…" he said confidently. Lovino stared at Francis with some awe as he turned to face him and the man. "You're here to collect a debt, I presume?" He laughed softly, shaking his head. "It couldn't be half as big as the one he owes us. Let me guess—is it twenty million? That would be nothing!" Francis began lifting the hand which wielded the gun, and within seconds someone outside had shot the remaining two henchmen. With that, Francis pointed the gun at the boss, who still had his gun pointed at Lovino. Lovino wondered who the hell he had outside, and on such short notice…?

"I have people waiting outside, waiting for me to bring these two with me. Think about this before you do anything brash. If you shoot Lovino, you will never get your money—and neither will I. I'll have to kill you, maybe even your family, in order to pay for the losses. You wouldn't want that, oui?" He tilted his head as though to get a better view of the man. "I suggest you take your disgusting hands off of him before I get angry."

Lovino watched as the man stared Francis down, the look in his eyes dark, cold and calculating as he tried to decide what to do… "I believe we can talk this over," he said slowly, removing his gun from Lovino's head and holding it away about an inch. He pulled his arm back slightly, giving Lovino a bit more room to maneuver…just a little more…slowly, the man continued to move his arm, pulling it back slightly more…

Without warning, Lovino elbowed the man in the nose, throwing his foot back and dragging it down from the man's knee all the way to his foot, making sure to stomp on it hard before breaking away from him. The man cried out and lurched backwards, barely able to keep his balance as he stumbled. That was when Lovino struck again, whipping around and grabbing the gun from the man without a second thought. Kicking the man in the shin, Lovino forced him onto his back and smirked. "Ciao," he said darkly, before firing the gun straight at the man's head. The _bang_ resounded throughout the room, and Lovino grimaced as the mafia man's blood spilled out onto the floor.

"Sorry about that, Antonio," he said sharply. "I'm sure that'll be hard to get out of the carpet..." Then, without warning, Lovino shot again, this time at the man's heart. "That's for threatening my lover, by the way," he said, spitting on the man's corpse with disgust, before swiping up the man's gun holster and attaching it to his belt, replacing the gun and turning to Antonio with an angered look on his face. "They aren't going to be happy that I shot one of theirs," he said coldly, before taking Antonio's hand and pulling him forward. "We have to get out of here...Francis, we've got to get to a hotel, and fast. They're going to be expecting an answer soon, that you can be su- ...sure of," he managed. There were tears forming in his eyes now as he realized just what he'd done...

Lovino had just shot a man in cold blood in front of his lover.

What would Antonio think of him /now/?

* * *

><p>Lovino stood under the shower head, allowing the hot, steaming water to wash away his tears and guilt. He was staying in the same hotel room as Antonio, but he hadn't said a word to the other man since the incident had happened...he was so scared, and so afraid that Antonio would hate him now that he had done those things in front of him...he'd never done those things in <em>front <em>of Antonio before. And his mafia debt…now he was sure he had a bounty on his head...now that he was alone, Lovino sunk to his knees, naked and shivering, and cried hard into his hands.

A few minutes later, he heard a gentle knock on the door.

"Lovino? Is everything alright in there?"

"D-don't come in!" Lovino hiccupped from behind the door, wrapping his arms around himself as he tried to control his crying. He wasn't able to however, and a loud sob escaped his mouth as he turned up the heat on the water. He would just burn himself to death, that was what he would do. He couldn't look at Antonio after doing what he'd done…

"Amor, I need you to open the door for me…" Antonio said lovingly, trying to coax Lovino out of the bathroom. But no…he couldn't look at Antonio. Not like this.

"N-no! Just go away Antonio!" He turned his back to the door, his voice quivering as he tried not to shout. "I'm not coming out! Just let me burn in here!"

He heard the door opening and ducked his head into his knees, slouched over and defeated. He flinched slightly as Antonio's hand reached through the steaming water to turn it off, wrapping a towel around Lovino's shoulders. "I need you to tell me what happened…" Antonio said, putting one hand lightly on Lovino's shoulder while looking into his eyes. Lovino couldn't take it however, and jerked away from the other man's hand fearfully.

"Don't look at me Antonio!" he snapped. "This isn't worth it! I'm not worth this! Don't you see that?" He sobbed again, burying his face into his hands and shivering. "I shouldn't have done it…now there's a bounty on my head and yours and…oh, God, I shouldn't have done this…I should have just gone with them, I should have just made you let me go…" He finally looked up, his eyes wide and teary. "H-how could you stay with me? After everything I've done?"

He jumped again when Antonio pulled him into a tight embrace, his arms around the other man's back protectively. He pulled his head back a small amount, looking Lovino in the eyes. "Don't you _ever_ tell me that you are not worth anything, because you are worth everything to me, Lovino. I don't care if I get sent to hell, if it means protecting you, _being_ with you, I'll take anything. A bounty is such a small thing compared to what I feel for you, the happiness that you bring me…I love you so much, mi vida. Please never forget this again."

Lovino stared in wonder at his lover, surprise and love clouding his mind as he wrapped his arms around Antonio and pulled him closer. "A-Antonio…" he whispered. "Please…please never let me go…I know you love me, I don't forget, I just…I don't see how I deserve it…but I love you, so, so much…" he mumbled into his lover's ear, before suddenly wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him in close. "Kiss me," Lovino whispered. "Let's just forget…forget about this…just for tonight, Antonio…I just want to forget it happened, just for a little while…help me forget…"

"I won't let you go as long as I live…I promise…" Antonio whispered gently as he leaned his head down. "Come now, Lovi…let's forget it together…" He kissed Lovino and, in that moment, the two were one.

* * *

><p>(AN: Hi again. Today I learned how to italicize here! I'm doing my best, but constructive criticism is always helpful! As you can see, I'm not the greatest at fight scenes or…romance scenes, but I'm really going to do my best because my co-author has inspired me to really give it my all and to not give up. So please, enjoy! And reviews are always welcome, be they good or bad. Thanks!<p>

-BNG)


	3. Chapter 3

"Amor, I need you take wake up now…" Antonio whispered. It was 6 AM, but he and Lovino needed to wake up early in order to make plans for their escape. He started shaking the man gently before whispering again, "Lovi, it's time to get up."

"Nngh…don't wake me up, you bastard…" Lovino mumbled, rolling over…and falling out of the bed. Antonio watched with some guilty amusement as Lovino struggled to fight his way out of the covers which had overtaken him, finally popping his head out and frowning. "Shit...right, I almost forgot," he mumbled, frowning and shaking his head. "You're right, it is time to get up. We should get out of here and make plans before they start to track us…right?"

"That's right," He answered as he grabbed Lovino's hand, pulling him up off the floor. "We'd better hurry. They have a lot of people, and they'll find us easily if we don't move." He reached into the small suitcase he'd hastily packed before they left his residence. He pulled out two pairs of jeans, a button down shirt, and a t shirt, throwing a pair of pants and the button down toward his lover. He knew that the Italian would probably complain, being the fashionable man that he was, but a suit was simply not practical for their situation. "Querido, I need you to put these on. We'll be leaving in fifteen minutes to meet Francis. He's prepared fake identification for us, as well as a nice amount of cash. From that point on, we'll be on our own."

"…alright." To his surprise, Lovino grabbed the clothes and began putting them on without complaint. Still, his expression betrayed him, and Antonio could see the worry in his eyes. "Antonio…you don't have to come with me. It's dangerous…"

Before he could say another word, Antonio had a finger to Lovino's lips, a faint smile on his face. "Please remember what we talked about yesterday. Everywhere you go, I will follow—especially in situations like these." He put his arms around Lovino's shoulders, pulling the other man in close. "If it's dangerous, what makes you think I'll leave you to do it alone?" Antonio kissed his lips chastely, then pulled away and began getting dressed, unable to keep himself from chuckling as he heard his lover mutter a 'bastard' at him before grabbing a comb and beginning to fix his hair.

"Where are we going to go then? They've probably got people watching us…"

"Francis and Matthew have a room here. After we checked in, those two went to prepare the documents and money for us. The mafia knows our faces, but they do not know theirs. Everyone who saw them is now dead." Antonio hesitated at the last sentence, not wanting to disturb Lovino again. "They're going to meet us in the café downstairs. We'll eat and chat a bit, look natural, and they'll hand us an envelope. We're going to go upstairs, back here, and figure out what we want to do next. We have to decide quickly, but we also have to make sure we make the right choice."

"Well, alright…" Lovino crossed his arms, a frown spreading across his face as he buttoned up his new shirt. "I'm ready then. But, Antonio…" And suddenly Lovino was staring at him, an intense expression on his face. "If anything happens…should anything happen…promise me, even if I'm in danger, you'll stay out of harm's way. Promise me that, Antonio." Without waiting for an answer, Lovino grabbed his suitcase and headed for the door. "I'll see you in the café."

Antonio watched silently as Lovino walked out the door. Holding his head in his hands, he considered his lover's words; he was a very impulsive person, and he knew for a fact that he would put himself in danger in order to protect his lover. It was a part of him that he couldn't control—his need to always be fighting, dominant, to protect what was his. He'd lost so much already, and the last thing he wanted taken away from him was Lovino. Glancing at the clock, he noticed that ten minutes had passed since Lovino left. He slipped his key and his wallet into his pocket as he made his way out the door, making sure to switch the sign to "do not disturb" before making his way downstairs.

* * *

><p>Antonio strode over to the table confidently, a fake smile plastered on his face. He ordered from a coffee from the overly cheery waitress, slightly disappointed that churros were not on the menu, and took a seat next to his lover. Francis and Matthew made it easy to join in on the conversation, their easygoing personalities temporarily calming the Spaniard. Every once in a while, he noticed Lovino glancing around the café, a worried expression briefly crossing his face before he settled down in his chair again. Antonio placed his hand on Lovino's thigh in a feeble attempt to calm the man down, to let him know that he didn't have to worry. Around 7:15, Francis and Matthew took their leave, leaving the other two with enough money to cover the food, and a large, tightly sealed envelope.<p>

"Tonio," Lovino mumbled, "I think it's about time we go—"

"Ah. Excuse me, you two?" The pair jumped as a voice called out to them. Lovino fell back into his seat, turning to look over his shoulder…only to find that it was only a woman approaching them. "Ah. Good. I was worried you would run," the woman said quietly, grabbing a chair quickly and pulling it up to the table. Her nametag read "Elizaveta", and as she sat down, her eyes locked upon Antonio, a small smile on her face. "A…Tonio," she said quietly, her eyes darting away towards the front for a moment and a small frown crossing her face. "I still owe you a favor, so…you can't go out the front. If you come with me, I can let you out the back way. Yes?"

"Elizaveta…what are you…" Antonio's voice trailed off mid-sentence, trying not to attract attention to himself. He shot his lover an apologetic look before turning back to the Hungarian, smiling, and nodding. "It's good to see you again." He stood up carefully and began collecting his things off the table, leaving enough money to pay for their breakfast. He motioned for Lovino to follow him, smiling reassuringly.

Elizaveta stepped through the counter and held the door to the back rooms open for the pair, before shutting it behind them. "I heard about your plight, and wanted to help," she said shortly, navigating expertly through the boxes on the floor.

"Just who are you?" Lovino asked, looking from Elizaveta to Antonio. "And how did you find out about this? Antonio…"

"Don't you remember, Lovi? This woman is Hungary—er, Elizaveta. She helped Roderich raise your brother when you were living with me. You can trust her…she's one of us." He took Lovino's hand in his own, sensing the other man's distrust. "How _do_ you know of our predicament, Elizaveta? We thought no one knew but Francis and Matthew."

As he walked down the corridor with Lovino and Elizaveta, he thought back to the day he had lost Lovino. Feliciano coming into his house and demanding his brother back, threatening war…he couldn't believe that the boy had been so brave. Antonio was vulnerable at the time—Holy Rome was slowly collapsing, Francis was slowly being defeated, and his former husband was constantly battling his mentor. Watching the most important person in the world leave his house to become his own country for the first time in centuries, Antonio should have felt proud. Lovino was becoming an adult, with his own set of rules and his own kingdom to build alongside his brother. But all Antonio could feel was sadness—the boy he had been raising for decades had left him, and that was the bottom line.

Austria and Hungary had been happily married for many years when Lovino left Antonio. He couldn't believe one small fight between the two would lead her to cheat—he couldn't believe that _he _had been the one she'd cheated with. Not long after the unification, Elizaveta and Roderich had begun fighting, thanks to Gilbert's constant declarations of love to Elizaveta. Gilbert had been one of Antonio's closest friends, but even he had started to admit that the pestering was getting extreme.

One evening, he returned to his newly-empty house to find the Hungarian waiting for him in his living room. She had just had an enormous argument with her husband over Gilbert, and needed to seek advice from someone who knew both of them well. After a few drinks, she began to open up more and more. She told him how she wished she could please Austria like Spain did when _they_ were married, how she cared for Prussia in a more than platonic way. Antonio, also affected by alcohol and sorrow, offered physical comfort, and Elizaveta was more than happy to accept. He had told Lovino of his sexual history with Francis and Austria when they had started dating, but he had never told him about what had happened with Elizaveta, at her request. The guilt he felt now, holding his current lover's hand while getting help from a woman he was hiding an enormous secret with, was the heaviest burden he had felt in a while…

He barely realized when she started to answer his question. "Oh, I...word travels around this hotel," she said curtly, not looking back to them. "Here, this is the door," she said bluntly, kicking some boxes out of the way and pulling a key out of her pocket. "I'm sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, but...I wish you all the best," she said quietly, hiding her face from the two as she pulled the door open. "Lovino first," she said softly, gently grabbing the other man's shoulder and pushing him towards the door.

"What? Hey, let go of me! Why do I have to go first, I-"

And then she slammed the door shut on Lovino, quickly locking it behind him and throwing her back against the door with a stern face on. "I'm sorry Antonio," she said bitterly. "But they were going to hurt you if I didn't hand him over...I'm sorry."

And she grabbed a frying pan from one of the shelves and slammed Antonio over the head with it.

* * *

><p>"Antonio? Antonio!" Lovino shouted, banging his fists on the door as he tried, and failed, to get it. "Elizaveta, <em>let me in<em>! What are you doing?" He opened his mouth to shout again...and found suddenly that there was a hand clamped over it. He gagged, he couldn't breathe, he couldn't—...a warm, inviting, blackness settled over his vision, and suddenly Lovino found himself falling deeper and deeper into darkness.

"You can't run from the mafia, Lovino..."

* * *

><p>(AN: A huge thanks to my co-author who wrote most of this chapter. I don't know what I'd do without her! Also, school is happening, so expect things to be a bit slower.)<p> 


End file.
